Senecio plant named ‘Sunsenekabapi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Senecio  plant named ‘Sunsenekabapi’, characterized by its upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; freely flowering habit; and large daisy-type inflorescences with purple violet-colored ray florets and dark red purple-colored disc florets.

Botanical designation: Senecio cruentus×Senecio heritierii.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNSENEKABAPI’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Senecio plant, botanically known as Senecio cruentus×Senecio heritierii, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunsenekabapi’.

The new Senecio plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Kawachi-machi, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new upright and mounding Senecio plants with numerous attractive inflorescences.

The new Senecio plant originated from an open pollination in March, 2007 of a proprietary selections of Senecio cruentus×Senecio heritieri identified as code number BW20, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown proprietary selection of Senecio cruentus×Senecio heritieri as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Senecio plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Kawachi-machi, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki, Japan in January, 2008.

Asexual reproduction of the new Senecio plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Kawachi-machi, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki, Japan since January, 2008 has shown that the unique features of this new Senecio plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Senecio have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sunsenekabapi’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunsenekabapi’ as a new and distinct Senecio plant:

-   -   1. Upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large daisy-type inflorescences with purple violet-colored         ray florets and dark red purple-colored disc florets.

Plants of the new Senecio can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Senecio differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Senecio are shorter than plants of the         female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Senecio have smaller inflorescences than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Senecio and the female parent selection         differ in ray floret color as plants of the female parent         selection have red-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Senecio can be compared to plants of Senecio cruentus×Senecio heritieri ‘Sunsenere’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,162. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, plants of the new Senecio differed from plants of ‘Sunsenere’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants ofthe new Senecio had smaller, more deeply serrated         and darker green-colored leaves than plants of ‘Sunsenere’.     -   2. Plants of the new Senecio and ‘Sunsenere’ differed in ray         floret color as plants of ‘Sunsenere’ had purple-colored ray         florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Senecio plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Senecio plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunsenekabapi’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunsenekabapi’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown in 15-cm containers during the winter in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Senecio production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 10° C. and night temperatures averaged 5° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were six months old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Senecio cruentus×Senecio heritierii     ‘Sunsenekabapi’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Senecio             cruentus×Senecio heritierii identified as code number BW20,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown proprietary selection of             Senecio cruentus×Senecio heritieri, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About one week at 18° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About four weeks at             18° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright and mounded plant habit;             daisy-type inflorescences positioned above the foliar plane;             freely branching habit; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 34.7 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 45 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 19.8 cm. Diameter: About             3.9 mm. Internode length: About 1.6 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color: Close to 144B tinted             with close to 183A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 5.9 cm. Width: About 6.8 cm. Shape: Cordate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Cordate. Margin: Palmately lobed; deeply             serrate; undulate. Texture, upper surface: Sparsely             pubescent. Texture, lower surface: Densely pubescent.             Venation pattern: Pinnate; reticulate. Color: Developing and             fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137B;             venation, close to 144B. Developing and fully expanded             leaves, lower surface: Close to 138C; venation, close to             144D. Petioles: Length: About 7.8 cm. Diameter: About             2.6 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color,             upper surface: Close to 144B tinted with close to 59A.             Color, lower surface: Close to 144B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Large daisy-type inflorescences with narrowly             elliptic-shaped ray florets; inflorescences arising from             upper leaf axils and positioned above the foliar plane; disc             and ray florets developing acropetally on a capitulum;             inflorescences face upright and outwardly; freely flowering             habit with about 100 inflorescences developing per plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Senecio begin             flowering about 22 weeks after planting; plants flower             continuously from winter to late spring.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about two weeks             on the plant; inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 8.2 mm. Diameter: About             5.8 mm. Shape: Globose. Color: Close to N78A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 7 cm. Depth (height):             About 1 cm. Disc diameter: About 1 cm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Narrowly elliptic. Length: About 3.1 cm.             Width: About 7.8 mm. Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 12 to 14 in a             single whorl. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to             N81A. When opening, lower surface: Close to N80B. Fully             opened, upper surface: Close to N81A; towards the base,             close to N80B; color does not fade with development. Fully             opened, lower surface: Close to N81C; towards the base,             close to lighter than N78C.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed.             Length: About 8.6 mm. Diameter: About 1.2 mm. Number of disc             floret per inflorescence: About 100. Color, immature: Apex:             Close to 72A. Mid-section: Close to 150D. Base: Close to             150B. Color, mature: Apex: Close to 72A. Mid-section: Close             to 150D. Base: Close to 151B.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About twelve in a             single whorl. Length: About 7.7 mm. Width: About 1.8 mm.             Shape: Narrowly elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color, upper surface: Close to 144A. Color, lower surface:             Close to 144B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3.1 cm. Diameter: About 1.7 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright to somewhat outwardly.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 146B occasionally             tinted with close to 183A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther color: Close to             N78A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 6A.             Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Stigma             shape: Bi-parted, curled. Stigma color: Close to N78A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Senecio. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Senecio have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Senecio     plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Senecio have been observed     to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 30° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Senecio plant named ‘Sunsenekabapi’ as illustrated and described. 